25 replies to this topic

[bolex]

boy bruce talk about loading a comment ,that makes me feel as if i have to go out and find one now.

[Bolens 1000]

boy bruce talk about loading a comment ,that makes me feel as if i have to go out and find one now.

Its easier said then done
I've been avidly collecting for a solid 10 years now and this tiller is the first one I have ever seen. I cant imagine there are many left out there...

[redcarkids]

very nice Brian, I want one too!!! Have fun with it and keep us posted on the restoration.

[Enginerd]

Nice score. Any similarities between yours and this one?

http://milwaukee.cra...3289033516.html

If Bolens did buy M&E, I wonder how much of the design was influenced by them.

My dad has a late 70's Horse, and I'd be curious how close the design is to the Bolens. Your description sounds spot on.

[MailmAn]

On a side note:
Does anyone else think this is eerily similar to the Troy Bilt Horse tillers from the 70's-80's???
Its got the Reverse disc, 2 speed ranges, the engine pivots to engage the wheels/tines. I'm wondering if Troy Bilt originally based their tiller off this Bolens???

I would definitely say yes, as my dad has a 1980's Troy-Bilt Horse Tiller with an 8HP B&S engine on it. It has a Forward/Reverse lever that you pull down to lift the engine on a pivoting frame to tighten the drive belt to make it go forward and engage the tines. If you push that lever up, it pivots the engine down onto a reverse friction disc to make the tiller go backwards. It is kind of neat if your Bolens tiller there has the same setup. Of course, not really sure how many different ways they could make the tiller engage Forward or Reverse. I guess they could leave the engine fixed and have a lever that engages an idler pulley, which would make sense as well. But they just decided to do it the way that they did. Now, did Troy-Bilt buy out Bolens in the late 1970's or early 1980's or something? You don't think they copied Bolens' idea on the tiller? I think Troy-Bilt was making their tillers the same way well before they would have bought out Bolens... Maybe it was just a coincidence that they both developed the same style of tiller without being influenced by the other...

[Bruce Dorsi]

Nice score. Any similarities between yours and this one?

http://milwaukee.cra...3289033516.html

If Bolens did buy M&E, I wonder how much of the design was influenced by them.

My dad has a late 70's Horse, and I'd be curious how close the design is to the Bolens. Your description sounds spot on.

I suspect the info in the Craigslist ad is incorrect. ....Bolens did not acquire Milwaukee-Equipment (M-E) until the early 1950's. .....I have M-E paperwork dated 1953.

According to my Bolens papers, Bolens did not produce tillers until 1954. .....Bolens continued making tillers the same as the M-E tillers (painted green, instead of red) until 1958, when the design was modified.

[wilberj]

I would definitely say yes, as my dad has a 1980's Troy-Bilt Horse Tiller with an 8HP B&S engine on it. It has a Forward/Reverse lever that you pull down to lift the engine on a pivoting frame to tighten the drive belt to make it go forward and engage the tines. If you push that lever up, it pivots the engine down onto a reverse friction disc to make the tiller go backwards. It is kind of neat if your Bolens tiller there has the same setup. Of course, not really sure how many different ways they could make the tiller engage Forward or Reverse. I guess they could leave the engine fixed and have a lever that engages an idler pulley, which would make sense as well. But they just decided to do it the way that they did. Now, did Troy-Bilt buy out Bolens in the late 1970's or early 1980's or something? You don't think they copied Bolens' idea on the tiller? I think Troy-Bilt was making their tillers the same way well before they would have bought out Bolens... Maybe it was just a coincidence that they both developed the same style of tiller without being influenced by the other...

1987

[wilberj]

I suspect the info in the Craigslist ad is incorrect. ....Bolens did not acquire Milwaukee-Equipment (M-E) until the early 1950's. .....I have M-E paperwork dated 1953.

According to my Bolens papers, Bolens did not produce tillers until 1954. .....Bolens continued making tillers the same as the M-E tillers (painted green, instead of red) until 1958, when the design was modified.

My paper work says around the end of 1953 was when Bolens acquire Milwaukee Equipment.

Edited by wilberj, October 11, 2012 - 05:34 PM.

[Bolens 1000]

1987

My Info says that FMC sold out in 88' to Gardenway cooperation in Troy NY.

[wilberj]

My Info says that FMC sold out in 88' to Gardenway cooperation in Troy NY.

Typo....

Edited by wilberj, October 11, 2012 - 05:55 PM.

[olcowhand]

Just seen this thread Doc, and I must say, this is a rare find! I'd say you're a mighty proud papa!